The Failed Rejection
Chapter 23

Alpha Axel pov

Axel couldn’t stop looking at the pictures that Penelope sent him. The whole situation had intrigued, and bothered him.

Since returning home things haven’t felt right. After leaving the midnight howlers pack Axel walked into his pack house during his funeral. His mate was crying over his dead body. Cue the eye roll. The b.itch was fake crying with the man she sold him out for. Shanda saw him and with a performance worth of Hollywood told him how glad she was he was alive.

Axel simply told her to cut the crap, and that he remembered everything. Shanda and her lover knowing they were caught tried to run. The traitorous duo didn’t get very far. The couple were tried, and executed two days later. The pack house had been quite ever since, until now.

Well Axel had been trying to convince his beta Heath to come out with his mate. His k********g attempt showed him life is too short. Looking at these photos, just solidified that belief.

“What are you looking at?” Heath asked him.

“You remember the pack that you found me at? The midnight howlers pack?” Axel asked his beta.

“Of course, I’ll never forget.”

“Well one of the members contacted me about an unknown Bear shifter whose in a coma,” Axel said and handed over the photos. Heath picked up the pictures,

“Wow. They really did a number on him.” Axel didn’t comment, just looked at the photos. Axel continued to look at the tattoo photos, hoping that something would becoming relevant.

“Yeah, he was left in the woods to die. The Luna’s sister found him, and saved his life. The bear has no identification, I reached out to local packs. You know how many members they are missing?” Axel asked.

“None?” Heath guessed.

“Zip!” Axel sighed.

“Tattoos?” Heath asked and Axel tossed the picture of the only visible tattoos. The arm tattoos.

“Where are the chest tattoos?” Heath asked.

“Burned off. Well Penelope thinks.” Heath’s jaw literally dropped open. Axel nodded.

“My thoughts exactly. What the hell did this bear shifter walk in on.”

“Should we fly out and see this guy?” Heath asked. Axel shrugged his big shoulders,

“I’m not sure yet. I think I will poke around a little bit more first.”

“Whatever you say alpha,” Heath said staring at the pictures.

“I wish you’d say that about everything I say,” Axel said. Heath stiffened up,

“It’s my business Axel.” Axel let out a sigh,

“I’m only telling you this. Life is short, and you are going to regret treating your mate like a dirty little secret. Zack is going to wise up and reject your a*s one of these days.” Axel said trying to strike a nerve, and to the casual observer Heath appeared unaffected. Axel knew his best friend, and his hand fisted just slightly on the photo he grabbed. It was the only sign that his words affected his friends.

Penelope pov

Penelope couldn’t contain her excitement, her family was finally coming for a visit. It was Friday, they were arriving while she was at class. She could hardly concentrate, but she had to. Chris noticed and asked about it,

“What’s up with you today?”

“I’m excited! My family’s flying in for the weekend!” Chris smiled at her,

“They staying for the long weekend?” Penelope nodded,

“Yeah, normally I go home for the vacations. But my sister wanted to come out and see me.” Chris smiled at her,

“Your lucky, my mom is terrified of planes. The drive is too long, so it’s just me coming out when I can.”

“I’d invite you, but Lili is bringing the kids and-“ before Penelope could make weird excuses Chris cut her off.

“No, I wouldn’t cut into your family time.” Penelope smiled at her friend, and packed up her stuff.

“Oh before you leave-“ Penelope stopped herself from moving.

“Yeah, do you need my notes?”

“No, well I’d love them but that’s not what I was going to ask.”

“What’s up?”

“Have you heard from Max? I know you guys aren’t close or anything. But I know you talked some, so I thought I would ask.” Penelope felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her. Penelope completely forgot that Chris and Max were close friends. She remembered Chris telling her that they did their undergrad together.

“No I haven’t seen him. When was the last time you seen him?” Penelope asked trying to sound casual.

“The last time I saw him was in class last week. I got a text from him that night saying he was leaving for a family emergency. Which was weird.”

“Why?” Penelope asked.

“Max hated his family, it’s why he joined the military.”

“Well maybe some one died. Death has a way of changing some one’s feelings,” Penelope said having first hand knowledge of that fact.

“I don’t know,” Chis trailed off.

“Look I’m speaking from personal experience. My dad treated me and my sister like crap. And I swore that I would always hate him. But now that he’s dead, I don’t know. I at least wish I could have yelled at him, face to face you know.” Penelope never told that to any one, and here she was telling that to a perfect stranger. All just to cover her a*s.

“Who knows what Max is going through, he probably just needs time.” Chris looked at her, and nodded.

“Your right. Thanks Penelope, your a good friend.” Chris gave her a hug, and Penelope felt awful, she was going to burn in hell.

Finally by the end of her classes she was starting to feel excited again. She got a few texts from both her sister and Jackson.

J: we are leaving the airport!

L: checking into the hotel. The kids are so tired, but exited to be here!

J: everyone is sleeping but me, can I come to the university.

The was the last text she got just a few minutes ago, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Me: yes I just got out of my classes. Please come see me I starving!

J: I’m in an Uber I’ll be there in ten minutes!

Me; awesome! I’ll meet you at my dorm.

Penelope headed back to her dorm, excited to see Jackson. She was excited for her weekend, she was all caught up on her school work. The only she she was worried about was checking in on her mystery man.

“We need to see him,” Koko told her. Penelope wondered why her wolf was adamant about visiting the man. Penelope turned the corner of the hall, and saw Jackson waiting for her.

“Dad!” She shouted to get his attention.

“Penelope!” Jackson yelled back at her, and he approached her in the hallway. Jackson gave her a big bear hug that she relished.

“So good to see you,” she breathed out.

Penelope dropped her stuff off in her room, and they went downstairs to find one of their favorite food trucks. Jackson grabbed them some tacos, while Penelope got some smoothies. They grabbed a table, and caught up on current events. Jackson told Penelope that Nathan returned to his pack, and that Killian was looking for new pack territory for Callum. Penelope told Jackson she aced her last test. She also mentioned the man she saved. However, Penelope didn’t tell Jackson that she continued to visit him.

When they had finished eating Jackson got a call from Liliana.

“Hey Lili, yeah I’m sitting right here with her…sure.” Jackson took the phone away from his head and put it on speakerphone.

“Hey Penne!” Lili said.

“Aunt P!”

“Aunt P” the kids continued to chant through the phone.

“Hey guys! I’m so excited you are here!”

“We are in a hotel.”

“We are going swimming. You coming swimming?” The kids just continued to shoot questions at her nonstop. Penelope couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yes we are going to go swimming. Me and grandpa are going to come by, we just have to hang up okay?”

“Bye!”

“Bye!”

“Bye see you soon.” Jackson hung up the phone,

“Okay, where is the closest McDonalds? Penelope asked we go get some for the kids. Lili’s too sick for anything.” Her and Jackson stood up, picking up their trash and throwing it away.

“Is she as bad as last time?”

“Worse,” Jackson said. That’s pretty bad, it must be because she is carrying a hybrid pup.

“Can you call the Uber?” Penelope asked. Jackson nodded and pulled out his phone. Penelope was excited to see her niece, and nephew.